Severe Thunderstorm Warning Issued for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties
This alert is no longer in effect.
NOAA issued it on April 6, 2026, 4 months ago. Warnings of this kind stay in effect for hours to a few days, so this page is a historical record of what was issued, not a current warning. For conditions where you are right now, check weather.gov (US), weather.gc.ca (Canada), the Met Office (UK), or the Bureau of Meteorology (Australia).
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The National Weather Service has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for parts of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties, warning of 60 mph wind gusts and a possible tornado.
Read this weather record in 30 seconds
- Record type
- Severe Thunderstorm Warning
- Affected area
- Southwestern California
- Issued
- April 6, 2026
- Issuing authority
- NWS Los Angeles/Oxnard CA
Storm notices can cover different combinations of wind, hail, lightning, and rainfall. Use the original notice for the hazards and boundaries attached to this specific record.
Record status: historical. It was issued 4 months ago; use the issuing agency's live warning service for current conditions in Southwestern California.
Alert Details
The National Weather Service in Los Angeles/Oxnard CA has issued a Severe Thunderstorm Warning for northwestern Santa Barbara County and southwestern San Luis Obispo County in southwestern California. The alert is effective immediately and remains in place until 8:45 PM PST.
Affected Areas
The warning covers several locations in the Central Coast region, including:
- Santa Maria
- Lompoc
- Vandenberg Space Force Base
- Orcutt
- Guadalupe
- Vandenberg Village
What You Should Do
Residents in the warning area are advised to move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a building for protection. You should remain alert for a possible tornado, as they can develop quickly from severe thunderstorms. If a tornado is spotted, go at once to a basement or a small central room in a sturdy structure.
Expected Conditions
Radar indicates severe thunderstorms capable of producing 60 mph wind gusts. These winds are expected to cause damage to roofs, siding, and trees. Additionally, hail up to 0.75 inches is possible. The National Weather Service notes that a brief, weak tornado is also possible within this storm system.
Timeline
The warning was issued at 7:10 PM PST on February 17, 2026. At the time of issuance, severe thunderstorms were located along a line extending from 7 miles southwest of Pismo Beach to 50 miles west of Vandenberg Space Force Base, moving northeast at 60 mph. The alert is scheduled to expire at 8:45 PM PST.
Original source: NOAA Official Notice ↗
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